Page 32 of His Protective Bear

Hunter must have been listening for me to come home because he appeared from the back patio.

“Hi,” he smiled at me, “how was work?”

“Good,” I put my bag down on the sofa, “but should you be out of bed. Your stitches.”

“Are coming out in a couple of days, and besides, you’ve been taking very good care of me,” Hunter said.

I blushed and ducked my head, “You’re not a difficult patient.”

“Well, I want to thank you for taking such good care of me. So now it’s my turn to take care of you.” Hunter took my hand and led me outside.

“Wow,” I pressed my hand to my throat, “what’s all this?”

“Just a little something to let you know I appreciate you,” he said, then kissed my cheek.

Hunter had set up dinner on the patio under a mass of twinkling lights. The outdoor fireplace was lit and provided some warmth in the evening twilight. Two place settings had been arranged and were waiting for the food to be served.

“Well, you’ve taken such good care of me.” Hunter led me towards one chair and pulled it out for me. “And I know you’re not a fan of big romantic gestures.”

I shook my head. “No, this is absolutely perfect. I love it. Thank you so much.” No one had ever done something this nice for me. It was romantic and sweet and thoughtful. I jumped out of my seat, and he spun around—wow, no one had ever been as in tune with me—I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Thank you, this is….” I sighed, looking around at the patio. “It’s all wonderful.”

I loved how romantic Hunter was.

He leaned back a little so he could look me in the eye, “Are you sure? You really like it?”

“I do, I really do,” I placed my head on his chest.

“Does that mean you believe me? That I’m yours, and you’re mine, that we’re mates?” Hunter sounded so hopeful.

I had to go on faith and trust what I felt. I’d never felt so safe, cherished and genuinely cared for. He didn’t treat me like I was broken. I never felt that way around him.

“I do,” I nodded. “I believe that we’re mated. That you’re my alpha,” I added just in case he wasn’t sure.

Hunter was ecstatic. He picked me up and spun me around, and all I could do was hold on, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

When he finally stopped, he held me to him, kissed my head, then whispered, “I swear to the gods I’ll never give you a reason to regret trusting me.”

“I believe you,” I whispered.

“Good, now let me feed you,” Hunter said, then led me back to my seat. “Don’t worry, I didn’t cook, so it’s actually edible.”

I laughed, “I’m sure whatever you made would have been great because you made it for me.”

Hunter laughed as he took his seat, “That’s very nice of you to say, but I would rather not poison my mate. It’s just skillet chicken thighs, potatoes, and carrots. Papa put it together. All I had to do was set the oven. I even texted Simon so he could text me when you were close to leaving so that it was ready in time.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of trouble. You really didn’t have to—”

Hunter shook his head. “Nothing will ever be too much trouble for you.”

If he kept on saying things like that, I didn’t know what I would do.

Hunter stood up again to serve my food, then ensured I had water and cranberry juice.

“This all looks delicious,” I said.

He served himself. “Please don’t wait on me. Start eating.”

I picked up a piece of potato and popped it in my mouth, “This is delicious.”

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